The dreams had awakened her again, and this time she knew there was no returning to sleep. Hermione rose from her tousled bed and got dressed, deciding that a nice long walk and some fresh air would do her a world of good. Perhaps if she tired herself out with exercise, she would sleep soundly for once. The quiet solitude of Hogwarts empty halls was a relief to the racing brain of the witch as she tried futilely to remember any part of the dreams that tormented her nights. Hermione wandered as she tried to calm her mind, hoping that she would be able to get a little more rest before her first class that day.
The stairs that Hermione were walking down suddenly switched position and she found herself at the base of the Astronomy Tower. Something tugged at Hermione's conscience, and she began to climb the tall staircase to the peak of the castle. Almost in a daze, she made her way up the stairs and out onto the large hall that graced the top of the tower. Her focus became the Eastern Turret and Hermione made her way out onto the walkway that overlooked the castle grounds.
Hermione's perusal of the turret and view was suddenly interrupted by a sharp intake of breath and a muttered swearword.
"What in Merlin's name are you doing out here, girl?" The question was sneered with some unidentifiable emotion clinging to them.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone was up here, and I came to try to clear my head... so I could sleep again..." Hermione rambled to the stranger staring at her, curiosity as to who this man was burning through her along with the desire to get closer.
"This place is off limits this time of morning. Get back to your rooms before I take points." Severus hissed at the witch. Some odd feeling was drawing him towards the girl and he was desperately trying to ignore it. He could smell the scent of her shampoo and wanted nothing more than to bury his face in the mass of curly hair. That revelation struck him like a blow to the solar plexus and he lashed out.
"Get out of here!" He growled, eyes narrowing. "Seventy Five points from Gryffindor."
Hermione drew her slight frame to its full height. "Points? Just who do you think you are? Why are you even here, hiding in the tower?"
She pulled her wand and flourished it at Severus, realising finally that she was alone with an unknown man. "I know you aren't a professor, I've not seen you in the Great Hall. Perhaps the Headmistress should know about you."
Hermione made to cast a Patronus when her wrist was grabbed. Snape jerked her arm, interrupting the wand movements the witch was beginning. "I'll thank you to mind your business, Miss Granger... "
Hermione gasped in shock, then turned and ran from the formidable wizard that occupied the Astronomy Tower. He had known who she was. A stranger, hiding in the castle knew who she was. All she could think was that she had to get back to the safety of her room. Hermione hurried back as quickly as she could and threw herself into bed. Unfortunately, she traded one puzzle for another and it took even longer than usual to fall back to sleep. When Hermione's alarm woke her several hours later, the only memory she had of her walk the night before was the niggling thought that she had forgotten something on the Astronomy tower.
Severus stared at the empty space Hermione Granger had just occupied. He had an odd feeling dragging at his chest, but determined it was because she had been the one to save his life. "Wonderful. I owe the Know-It-All a life debt, that can be the only explanation for this feeling."
Eventually the sun began to appear and Severus pushed the thoughts of the witch who had invaded his personal space as far into the back of his mind as he could, and rose to begin his day as the Ghost Who Taught Potions.
Hermione was in her element at last. She swept aside the dreams that haunted her and the odd happenings as she walked the castle halls. Several times she had almost fallen down the moving stairs, and once she was almost crushed by a suit of arm that had been charmed to life by another student. Now she stood in the centre of her sitting room casting all of the Charms she had to be proficient in for the NEWT. She had been at this for weeks, determined to take the exam early so she could get into her apprenticeship more fully. Professor Flitwick had done everything he could up to this point, but one was required to have a NEWT in Charms in order to be able to move into the more complicated charms and charm theory. As long as she was a Charms student, she couldn't help grade her fellow's work, and Flitwick needed as much help there as he could get!
At this point, Hermione had used everything within her reach to charm in various ways, and now she was looking for something else to practice on. As she searched around the sitting room, Hermione realised there wasn't much left to choose from, so she walked into her bedroom. A glint of gold caught her eye and she happily pounced on the Phoenix hairclip she had almost forgotten about.
Taking the jeweled piece back into the other room, she immediately began casting charms on it. She made it sing and fly and even dance in mid-air. After several more minutes of working on her charms, Hermione began cancelling them one by one. She saved the Phoenix for last, enjoying watching it flit around the room. Smiling, she cast Finite Incantatem on the piece and watched in shock as it did far more than she was expecting. The phoenix began to grow exponentially, the wings coming around in a curve with the feathers joining underneath, forming a bowl. Hermione stared in shock as she realised that her hair clip, her gift from the former Headmaster, was the Pensieve that had dominated his office when he was alive. It only took her a moment more to recognise that the shimmering eyes she had always admired were swirls of stored memories.
Hermione stepped towards the now fully formed Pensieve. It was quite a large and elaborate piece.
"Headmaster, what else are you asking of me? I went to my parents like you wanted me to, but there was nothing there and no one ever came. What do you want now? The war is over." She intoned aloud. "What memories could you possibly have for me rather than Harry?"
Thoughts churned through Hermione's mind as she reeled from this discovery. She shook her head in bemusement and then jerked in fear. What if the memories were needed before the battle, what if there was something they were supposed to do and now it was ruined because she hadn't figured out the puzzle?
Sighing, Hermione decided to take a chance anyway, and see what Professor Dumbledore had left her. She bandied about the idea of getting the Headmistress, but something told her that if Dumbledore wanted someone else to see it, he wouldn't have secretly gifted the phoenix to her. Hermione reached out and popped the jeweled eye out of the right side of the Pensieve. She carefully poured the shimmery liquid into the bowl and took a deep breath. Before she could change her mind, Hermione plunged her face into the memories and found herself falling... falling... falling. There were two men arguing in the Headmaster's office and Hermione, getting her bearings, made her way closer to hear what was going on.
Albus Dumbledore sat behind the grand desk in the Headmaster's office, blue eyes subdues for once. He was watching the dark figure hunched over in the window seat opposite him. After a moment, the Headmaster made his way over to the man and spoke softly.
"Severus, there was nothing that could be done. All is occurring as it was meant to, as it needs to. The boy is safe for now, but mark my words, Tom Riddle will be back and you must be ready."
The dark figure looked up at the wizard hovering over him. "I told you I would spy for you, I told you I would do whatever it took to finish this. Never question my resolve again!"
The memory swirled into a fog not unlike the ones that filled Hermione's dream, then cleared and another memory began. This one was in a sitting room Hermione didn't recognise, but since the dark man was in shirt-sleeves she assumed it was his quarters. Creeping closer, she listened to the newest conversation.
"Severus, when the time comes YOU must make the final move. I am counting on you to not allow my torture at the hands of your fellows. You must also protect young Draco."
Severus glared at the old man. "I am tired, perhaps the Dark Lord will do me a favour and execute me next time I am summoned. What would you do then without your faithful lapdog spilling blood for you, keeping your hands and soul from being stained."
Dumbledore smiled benignly. "Severus, Severus... you will survive and if you do not, then you will have earned your reward. I know I ask much from you, but you are the only one I can count on unreservedly. The ONLY one!"
The next memory startled Hermione from her musings. Albus Dumbledore was speaking directly to her as he stared into a mirror.
"Miss Granger, I am sure that this has come as a bit of a shock to you, but I wanted to make sure that you understood why I am entrusting the safety of Severus Snape to you. I know he was harsh as a professor, but he is truly a good man. If he survives the war with Tom, if you all survive this war, I want to make sure that Severus is properly rewarded, not punished. He has been placed in a very difficult situation and I rest assured that you will do everything in your power to keep in safe."
Dumbledore stared into the mirror, blue eyes twinkling madly. "There is another reason I chose you, Hermione. Recall when your class performed the Soul Mate charm? We do the charm, but it only works a handful of times in a five hundred year period. Filius was thrilled when your aura glowed after the spell was cast. What no one knew was that Severus Snape was with me when it happened. He also glowed. Yes, Hermione, you are soul mates... take great care of each other."
Hermione fell out of the Pensieve and promptly threw up from the disorientation. She retched until she couldn't bring anything else up and then rolled over onto her back on the floor. A sob was wrenched from her as she realised what the memory meant. Severus Snape, her Potions master and Albus Dumbledore's spy was alive and for some unknown reason she had forgotten all about him. That realisation triggered another niggling memory. Professor Snape was here at Hogwarts and he was the mystery man she had run into on the Astronomy Tower. And they were soul mates...